Local photographer to make global documentary

— Spokane photographer Nick Henderson is travelling to the Philippines in August to document what he calls a 'synthetic gold rush' in which thousands of families have relocated into remote, harsh, and unforgiving gold mining regions in the pursuit of the precious metal. For thousands of children this means leaving the classroom and heading into the gold fields with their parents.

The process is dangerous in more ways then one, but the most shocking point may be how these kids are extracting gold from the rocks their older siblings and parents bring in. With a handful of Mercury, or Cyanide, they are exposed to chemicals that have been linked to death, cancer, birth defects, and more.

Nick Henderson is just like any other photographer in that he loves making photos that move people. Since moving to Spokane last year he has become a mainstay of the fashion and marketing community but now he says it's time to get back to his roots. Photojournalism.

He is financing the documentary through newly emerging crowd fund website, Kickstarter.com. With updates and video blogs, backers are invited to become a part of the documentary by pledging funding and every donation has a reward associated with it, such as autographed books, limited edition prints, or if you're a big time philanthropist, an opportunity to travel with him into the region.